Why must authoritative figures encourage students to become involved in athletics, yet turn them down when they put forth as much effort as they have? Being a new student in a large school and being denied from engaging in an activity of their passion and choice can either discourage the student or make them more motivated. Schools encourage the participation of its student in athletics, yet they can break a student's spirit with a simple "no." In order to succeed, you must fail first, which may lead you to a self-discovery.
I entered one of the largest high schools in Rhode Island, unaware of what was to come. The vast size of the hallways and the lockers, that I knew I would be able to fit in, boggled my mind as I passed through the school for the first time. The school intimidated me but I knew that I would become accustomed to my new home for the next four years. The school had a wide variety of athletics for all students, all within three different seasons. Teachers, coaches, and administrators all stressed the involvement of students in such activities and encouraged it immensely. Immediately, I was interested in continuing my love for cheerleading.
My first attempt in the hopes of becoming a cheerleader for this school was trying out for the football cheerleading squad. Football cheerleaders had reputations of being popular, which completely disinterested me. I simply wanted to fulfill my passion for this athletic, one with a combination of dance, stiff movements, stunts, loud cheers, and pep. I had participated in three years of cheerleading prior to entering this enormous school. At try outs, I performed the dance with perfection, cheered as loudly and deeply as my voice would allow me to, and smiled from the moment I walked into the small gymnasium to try out until the moment I stepped out. After girls who were previously on the squad told me that I would make the team, my spirit was crushed with the devastating news of the judges. The coaches and other judges had turned me down. I had not made the team that I had worked for three days nonstop to make.
Not making the cheerleading squad began to effect my mentality in other areas as well. In my mind, at first, I was a failure. I lost confidence in myself that I never knew I would be able to regain. I began to find faults in myself. The biggest flaw that I found was my size. My self-conscious issues had multiplied when I had failed in making the team. Due to the beginning of my self-conscious issues, I began to become a very pesimistic person. However, I did try out for the hockey cheerleading squad in the winter season and made it. In my mind, this squad was easier to become a part of because it had lower standards. Not only did fewer people try out, but the hockey cheerleaders were not taken seriously because of their reputation in the past years, being annoying, blocking the view of the audience, and not being very skilled.
By the end of that school year, I began to realize that the lack of self-confidence I had now acquired was because I had let my mind believe that I was not good enough. My passion for cheerleading, however, outweighed the blame that I had inflicted upon myself. By the end of that school year, I tried out for the football cheerleading squad for the upcoming fall season. Yet again, I was not accepted onto the team. The next year, I made a mistake in allowing my mind to overpower my heart because I did not continue on my quest for making the football cheerleading squad. I let the administrators intimidate me and break down my confidence.
The mind can become more powerful than the heart if we let it. Although I spent countless tears over not making the football cheerleading squad until the last year I was able to, I reached a sense of self-discovery. I realized, despite being told many times in the past, that life isn't easy. Sometimes bad experiences lead to positive outcomes. Being turned down by coaches and judges not only affected me at that moment but it has also made me become more confident in life, regardless if the effects at that time were quite the opposite. It has taught me not to give up on something that I am really passionate about and not to buy into the opinions of others as much I had. This experience reinforced a quote I try to live be each day: "Follow your heart."
Failure = Success
Why must authoritative figures encourage students to become involved in athletics, yet turn them down when they put forth as much effort as they have? Being a new student in a large school and being denied from engaging in an activity of their passion and choice can either discourage the student or make them more motivated. Schools encourage the participation of its student in athletics, yet they can break a student's spirit with a simple "no." In order to succeed, you must fail first, which may lead you to a self-discovery.
I entered one of the largest high schools in Rhode Island, unaware of what was to come. The vast size of the hallways and the lockers, that I knew I would be able to fit in, boggled my mind as I passed through the school for the first time. The school intimidated me but I knew that I would become accustomed to my new home for the next four years. The school had a wide variety of athletics for all students, all within three different seasons. Teachers, coaches, and administrators all stressed the involvement of students in such activities and encouraged it immensely. Immediately, I was interested in continuing my love for cheerleading.
My first attempt in the hopes of becoming a cheerleader for this school was trying out for the football cheerleading squad. Football cheerleaders had reputations of being popular, which completely disinterested me. I simply wanted to fulfill my passion for this athletic, one with a combination of dance, stiff movements, stunts, loud cheers, and pep. I had participated in three years of cheerleading prior to entering this enormous school. At try outs, I performed the dance with perfection, cheered as loudly and deeply as my voice would allow me to, and smiled from the moment I walked into the small gymnasium to try out until the moment I stepped out. After girls who were previously on the squad told me that I would make the team, my spirit was crushed with the devastating news of the judges. The coaches and other judges had turned me down. I had not made the team that I had worked for three days nonstop to make.
Not making the cheerleading squad began to effect my mentality in other areas as well. In my mind, at first, I was a failure. I lost confidence in myself that I never knew I would be able to regain. I began to find faults in myself. The biggest flaw that I found was my size. My self-conscious issues had multiplied when I had failed in making the team. Due to the beginning of my self-conscious issues, I began to become a very pesimistic person. However, I did try out for the hockey cheerleading squad in the winter season and made it. In my mind, this squad was easier to become a part of because it had lower standards. Not only did fewer people try out, but the hockey cheerleaders were not taken seriously because of their reputation in the past years, being annoying, blocking the view of the audience, and not being very skilled.
By the end of that school year, I began to realize that the lack of self-confidence I had now acquired was because I had let my mind believe that I was not good enough. My passion for cheerleading, however, outweighed the blame that I had inflicted upon myself. By the end of that school year, I tried out for the football cheerleading squad for the upcoming fall season. Yet again, I was not accepted onto the team. The next year, I made a mistake in allowing my mind to overpower my heart because I did not continue on my quest for making the football cheerleading squad. I let the administrators intimidate me and break down my confidence.
The mind can become more powerful than the heart if we let it. Although I spent countless tears over not making the football cheerleading squad until the last year I was able to, I reached a sense of self-discovery. I realized, despite being told many times in the past, that life isn't easy. Sometimes bad experiences lead to positive outcomes. Being turned down by coaches and judges not only affected me at that moment but it has also made me become more confident in life, regardless if the effects at that time were quite the opposite. It has taught me not to give up on something that I am really passionate about and not to buy into the opinions of others as much I had. This experience reinforced a quote I try to live be each day: "Follow your heart."